June 11, 2006

Any man who needs to validate what he believes by the writings of other men, by creeds, confessions of faith, or history, doesn’t really believe anything.

GO Publications has just released Pastor Fortner’s latest book — Discovering Christ in All the Scriptures, a 640 page hardback book giving a general survey of each Book in the Old and New Testaments, demonstrating that Christ crucified is the message of each Book, that Christ crucified is, as Paul put it, “all the counsel of God.” Discovering Christ in All the Scriptures can be purchased from us at our cost from the publisher — $35.00 postpaid, directly from GO Publications, or from any bookstore. If ordered from us, please make your check for $35.00 payable to Grace Baptist Church of Danville and mail your order to…

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road

Danville, KY 40422-9438

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Jennifer Hellar-14^th  Skip Gladfelter-15^th  Frank Gaydovchik-18^th

One With Christ — Don Fortner

(Tune: #497 — When I Can Read My Title Clear — CM)

1. O wondrous, gracious mystery! O height and depth of love! —

With Christ we died upon the tree, with Him we live above!

2. The Son of God a Man became, that He might live and die,

That He might righteousness bring in and justice satisfy.

3. Our sins and guilt He made His own, — He took the cup of wrath!

And with our Sur’ty we were one, when He accomplished death!

4. Ascended now in glory high, still one with Christ we are.

Enthroned with Him we cannot die. None can His body mar.

5. Christ lives in us and we in Him, for we with Christ are one;

And as He is we are in him, for He with us is one!

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Trinitarian Grace

Ephesians 1:3-14

We worship the triune God (1 John 5:7). And we are saved by the work of the triune God. All three Persons in the Godhead are equally gracious, and all three are involved in the salvation of our souls. This is what Paul shows us in Ephesians 1. As the three Persons of the Godhead are equal in divinity, but distinct in personality, so all three Persons in the Godhead are equal in grace, but distinct in the operations of grace.

The Father’s Work

God the Father is set before us as the Fountain of all grace (Eph. 1:3-6). It was God the Father who, in the covenant of grace, proposed redemption, devised the method, and chose the people whom he would save by his almighty grace. He found a way whereby his banished ones must be brought home. Then, in the fullness of time he sent his Son into the World to be the Medium, or Mediator of grace (Gal. 4:4-6).

The Son’s Work

God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Channel of all grace (Eph. 1:7-12). All grace comes to sinners through Christ the Mediator. Everything God does for sinners and gives to sinners is “in Christ.” Apart from Christ there is no grace. Am I chosen of God? I am chosen in Christ. Am I blessed of God? I am blessed in Christ. Am I predestinated by God? I am predestinated to be like Christ. Am I adopted of God? I am adopted in Christ. Am I accepted of God? I am accepted in Christ. Am I redeemed by God? I am redeemed in Christ. Am I forgiven by God? I am forgiven in Christ. Do I know God? I know him in Christ. Do I have an inheritance with God? I have it in Christ. Am I called of God? I am called in Christ.

                All grace comes to us through Christ! There is no other way the grace of God can reach a sinner. Let no rejecter of God’s Son imagine that he shall be the beneficiary of God’s grace! It is the work of Christ upon the cross that brought grace and justice together in the salvation of sinners. Through his blood, “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Ps. 85:10).

The Spirit’s Work

The Fountain of all grace is God the Father. The Channel of all grace is God the Son. And God the Holy Spirit is the Administrator of all grace (Eph. 1:13-14). It is God the Holy Spirit who effectually applies the blood of Christ to God’s elect. He regenerates the dead by omnipotent power. He calls the redeemed with irresistible grace. He gives faith by almighty operations of grace. He forms Christ in us, giving us a new and righteous nature, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He seals God’s elect unto everlasting glory.

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                Without the gracious operations of God the Holy Spirit in conversion, no sinner would ever become the beneficiary of grace. He takes the things of Christ and shows them to his people. He quickens those the Father chose, reclaims those the Son redeemed, and leads to the Good Shepherd all the sheep for whom he laid down his life (John 10:11).

                We were saved by the purpose of God the Father in election (Rom. 8:29-30; 2 Tim. 1:9). We were saved by the purchase of God the Son at Calvary (Rom. 4:25; Heb. 10:10-14). And we are saved by the power of God the Holy Spirit in the new birth (John 6:63; Eph. 1:18-20; 2:1-4). All three Persons in the Godhead are equally gracious; and all three must be praised! The work of the Father is no less and no more vital than the work of the Son and the Spirit; and the works of the Son and the Spirit are no less and no more vital than the work of the Father.

                As Robert Hawker wrote, “If the Reader will carefully observe what is contained in the opening of this most blessed Epistle, he will find that the Apostle is celebrating the praises of the holy undivided Persons of the Godhead, in their several distinct acts of grace, as manifested to the Church, and in giving to each, and to all, the glory due to the Lord Jehovah.” We worship and adore God the Father for his free, electing love. We worship and adore God the Son for his accomplished redemption, by which we have the forgiveness of all sin. And we worship and adore God the Spirit for his mighty operations of grace in regeneration, by which he has made us “partakers of the divine nature.” Therefore, we sing…

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Praise Him all creatures here below!

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts!

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

The New Birth

Pastor Donnie Bell

                Where the righteousness of Christ is imputed the holy nature of Christ is put in the sinner. Christ is formed in the sinner. Where the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to a sinner He also reveals Christ in the sinner. The term “born again” has been used and abused by multitudes of preachers and their followers. It is presented as an act of man’s will. Others say there is no such thing as being “born again”. Our Lord said that a man “must be born again.” — So he must! What is this new birth? It is the bringing into existence a person who never existed before. It is a creation, and only God can create. The Word tells us when this new birth occurs we are given a new nature. We then have two natures. They are called the old man and new man, flesh and spirit, and these two natures war against each other. We were never at war with sin, or ourselves, until we were given a new nature. I have heard this truth of two natures ridiculed and called a principle instead of a nature and that Christ revealed in a man, and in that revelation given a holy nature, is heresy. Does it make me uncharitable and a hypocrite because I find these truths to be so precious to my heart and soul that I will not support and fellowship with those who define these truths with different meanings?

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Grace Bulletin

June 11, 2006

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor

SCHEDULE OF REGULAR SERVICES

Sunday

10:00 A.M. Bible Classes

10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service

6:30   P.M. Evening Worship Service

Tuesday

7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

Television Broadcasts

Danville

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm

http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp